The BDS Movement is B.S.

Once upon a time, Brian Eno was best known for being a terrifically talented musician, composer and producer. Sadly, nowadays he’s better known for being a high profile member of Stop the War, that group of charmers led
by John Rees and Lyndsey German who claimed the ethnic cleansing of Yazidis is a myth, praised the “spirit of internationalism and solidarity” in ISIS, and whose first reaction to the mass murder of 130 people in Paris was to post a Tweet so obscene that they quickly deleted it, probably upon the advice of their lawyers that it was bordering on encouraging and supporting terrorism.

Eno is also a figurehead of the BDS Movement, which campaigns for
“boycotts, divestment and sanctions” against Israel. Now, no country is
above criticism, including Israel. We all have the right to criticise
and condemn any government and if this movement was solely about
campaigning against the Israeli government, there wouldn’t be an issue.
But the BDS Movement isn’t just about criticising the policies of the
Israeli government, it seeks to boycott Israel in totality, right across
the board, including every Israeli athlete, filmmaker, actor, writer, poet, artist and musician, which is why we’ve seen concerts by Israeli orchestras interrupted in London, Israeli footballers violently attacked during a match, and calls for musicians worldwide to refuse to perform in Israel. This movement wants to hold every single Israeli responsible for what their government does, good or bad.

“Oh,” but the BDS activists would scream, “that would be unfair and
racist!” And I’d agree. The people of China shouldn’t be held
responsible for what their government does, and neither should Iranians
and Pakistanis for what their governments do. So isn’t it funny how
these self-proclaimed arbiters of justice can’t extend that same
courtesy to ordinary Israelis? There must be a reason for it. Hmm….I
wonder what it could be?

To throw the perversity of the BDS Movement into sharp relief, let’s play a game. We’ll call it Six Degrees of BDS.

Gal Gadot is an Israeli actress and model who is also a former member of the IDF. There are already calls in Twitterland to boycott the upcoming Batman vs Superman film
because she’s in it. Because she’s Israeli. No other reason. She can
currently be seen in the film Triple 9, where she shares scenes with
British stars Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Since guilt by
association is at the crux of the BDS campaign, let’s take it through to its logical conclusion. And I’m afraid that means we have no choice but to also boycott Winslet and Ejiofor.
They got paid to be in a film acting alongside an Israeli, a former IDF
soldier. That’s blood money, isn’t it, BDS gang? So, sorry, Kate and Chiwetel, we can’t watch your work anymore.

Gadot is currently shooting her standalone Wonder Woman film, in which
her co-stars include Trainspotting actor Ewen Bremner and The Office
actress Lucy Davis. That’s two more who need to go onto the boycott list
for committing the heinous crime of appearing in a film with an
Israeli.

Incidentally, Davis’s Office co-star, Martin Freeman, who appeared in a
party election broadcast last year for Labour, is starring in another
comic book movie, Captain America: Civil War, which co-stars Scarlett
Johansson, who’s already been vilified for doing an advert for an Israeli company. Marvel is led, of course, by the legendary Stan Lee, who’s spoken of his regret as a Jew at having never visited Israel.
Looks like Labour supporter Martin Freeman must also be added to the
boycott list. I can’t imagine what it was about the big budget
blockbuster that pays fat salaries to its stars that attracted him in
the first place anyway.

The upcoming film London Has Fallen stars Israeli actor Alon Aboutboul.
His castmates include Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett, two of the most
acclaimed and revered actors of their generation. I’m sorry, but that
doesn’t matter. They’ve done the unthinkable by acting with an Israeli.
Off you go onto the boycott list, you two. Oh, and it’s directed by an Iranian. We have to boycott him as well.

At this point you might wonder if the BDS bunch had really thought
through the implications of their campaign, but then that would actually
require the ability to think and not simply hate.

But the biggest irony related to BDS brings us back to Mr Eno himself.
He of course collaborated a few times with music legend David Bowie and
the result was truly beautiful music. Bowie was also a musician who performed in Israel. When Bowie tragically died this year, among the tributes was a very moving one by Eno, who spoke eloquently about their work together and mentioned they’d discussed doing a new project.

Wait, what? Eno, who’s called on musicians everywhere
to boycott Israel, was friends with a singer who performed for his
Israeli fans? And he was planning to work with Bowie again?

So there you have it. If Brian Eno wants to be true to the principles of the BDS Movement, he has to boycott himself.

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